GRB 030329

GRB 030329 was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that was detected on 29 March 2003 at 11:37 UTC. A gamma-ray burst is a highly luminous flash associated with an explosion in a distant galaxy and producing gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, and often followed by a longer-lived "afterglow" emitted at longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio). GRB 030329 was the first burst whose afterglow definitively exhibited characteristics of a supernova, confirming the existence of a relationship between the two phenomena.

GRB 030329
Other designationsGRB 030329A, GRB 030329, SN 2003dh
Event typeGamma-ray burst 
Date29 March 2003 
Duration25 ±1 second 
InstrumentHigh Energy Transient Explorer 
ConstellationLeo 
Right ascension 10h 44m 49.95957s
Declination+21° 31′ 17.4375″
Distance587,000,000 pc (1.91×109 ly)
Redshift0.1685 +0.0001 -0.0001 

Observations

GRB 030329 was one of three gamma-ray bursts detected on 29 March 2003. The other two were labeled GRB 030329a[1] and GRB 030329b.[2] GRB 030329 was detected by multiple instruments onboard HETE at 11:37 UTC and lasted approximately 25 seconds.[3] The burst's optical afterglow was first observed from Siding Spring Observatory less than two hours after the burst had been detected.[4] The X-ray afterglow was first detected by RXTE approximately five hours after the burst.[5] The radio afterglow was first detected by the Very Large Array and, at the time of its discovery, was the brightest radio afterglow ever observed.[6] The burst was located at a sky position of R.A. =  10h 44m 49.95957s, Dec. = +21° 31′ 17.4375″ and had a redshift of z = 0.1685, corresponding to a distance of 587 Mpc.[7]

Supernova relation

GRB 030329's proximity to Earth enabled its afterglow to be studied in great detail. A spectrum taken of the burst's optical afterglow on 6 April 2003 showed peaks at approximately 570 nm and 470 nm. This spectrum was reproduced by combining a power-law distribution with the spectrum from SN 1998bw.[8] These supernova-like features continued to develop in the weeks after the initial burst.[9] Optical observations taken at Kitt Peak National Observatory on indicated that the burst's optical afterglow was brighter than a power-law decay would have predicted, a deviation that could have been explained by additional light from a supernova.[10] On 10 April 2003, NASA announced that GRB 030329 had provided the definitive link between gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.[11] The supernova was later referred to as SN 2003dh.[12]

Notes
  1. Frederiks, Dmitry (30 March 2003). "GRB030329a: detection by Konus-Wind". GCN Circulars. 2026: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..2026....1G.
  2. Frederiks, Dmitry (30 March 2003). "GRB030329b: detection by Konus-Wind and Helicon-CoronasF". GCN Circulars. 2025: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..2025....1G.
  3. Lamb, Don (29 March 2003). "GRB030329 (=H2652): A Long, Extremely Bright GRB Localized by the HETE WXM and SXC". GCN Circulars. 1997: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..1997....1V.
  4. Price, Paul (29 March 2003). "GRB 030329: Optical afterglow candidate". GCN Circulars. 1985: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..1985....1P.
  5. Marshall, Frank (29 March 2003). "RXTE detection of GRB 030329 afterglow". GCN Circulars. 1996: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..1996....1M.
  6. Berger, Edo (30 March 2003). "GRB 030329: Radio Observations". GCN Circulars. 2014: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..2014....1B.
  7. Pihlström, Y. L.; Taylor, G. B.; Granot, J.; Doeleman, S. (20 July 2007). "Stirring the Embers: High-Sensitivity VLBI Observations of GRB 030329". Astrophysical Journal. 664 (1): 411. arXiv:0704.2085. Bibcode:2007ApJ...664..411P. doi:10.1086/518955.
  8. Stanek, Krzysztof Z. (7 April 2003). "GRB 030329: Supernova Spectrum Emerging". GCN Circulars. 2107: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..2107....1M.
  9. Stanek, Krzysztof Z. (8 April 2003). "GRB 030329: Supernova Confirmed". GCN Circulars. 2120: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..2120....1M.
  10. Lindsay, Kevin (16 April 2003). "GRB 030329: SARA Optical Observations". GCN Circulars. 2143: 1. Bibcode:2003GCN..2143....1L.
  11. "It's a Supernova!" (Press release). NASA Science News. 10 April 2003.
  12. Stanek, Krzysztof Z.; Matheson, T.; Garnavich, P. M.; Martini, P.; Berlind, P.; Caldwell, N.; Challis, P.; Brown, W. R.; Schild, R.; Krisciunas, K.; Calkins, M. L.; Lee, J. C.; Hathi, N.; Jansen, R. A.; Windhorst, R.; Echevarria, L.; Eisenstein, D. J.; Pindor, B.; Olszewski, E. W.; Harding, P.; Holland, S. T.; Bersier, D. (12 June 2003). "Spectroscopic Discovery of the Supernova 2003dh Associated with GRB0303291". Astrophysical Journal. 591: L17–L20. arXiv:astro-ph/0304173. Bibcode:2003ApJ...591L..17S. doi:10.1086/376976.
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